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Timeline
2007 Unknown date * Global Pro Wrestling is reorganized as Mid-South Wrestling (not to be confused with the Bill Watts-owned promotion from the 1980s) May * 21 - The Dudley Boyz open the Team 3D Academy of Professional Wrestling in Kissimmee, Florida. June - Chris Benoit double murder-suicide: * 23-25 - One of professional wrestling's most notorious crimes occurs over a period of several days, with WWE superstar Chris Benoit killing his wife, Nancy, and their son, Daniel, before he committed suicide by hanging. In the years since, multiple explanations as to what happened and may have triggered the killings are proposed, and a federal investigation into steroid abuse in professional wrestling (one of the several theories) ensues. * 25 - The live Monday Night Raw show on June 25, is cancelled due to the death of Chris Benoit, and an empty arena tribute to Benoit's career is shown, with Michael Cole, John Layfield, Joey Styles and Tazz introducing matches and providing comments. At this point, police have not yet made public their investigation of what was believed to be a murder-suicide with Benoit as the suspect; this would not happen until just moments after the Raw broadcast ends. * 26 - After national media reports revealing that Benoit had committed the murders before ending his own life become public (often being the top story on national news broadcasts), Vince McMahon, Jr. goes on camera just prior to that evening's ECW (broadcast on SyFy) stating that, with the facts now becoming apparent in "this horrible tragedy," there would be no more mention of Benoit's name, and that the show would be dedicated to his fans and co-workers instead. The WWE then worked to disassociate itself from Benoit as quickly as possible, from removing his name, profile and videos of Benoit from their website to destroying all unsold merchandise and severely limiting footage of Benoit on new DVD releases; those policies remain fairly intact to this day. Additionally, a storyline that had started two weeks earlier -- involving Vince McMahon Jr.'s on-screen character, Mr. McMahon, being killed after his limousine was firebombed at the end of the June 11 RAW broadcast -- was scrapped. The June 25 RAW was to have been a "Tribute to Mr. McMahon," but with the death of Benoit (under what was then still unknown circumstances) McMahon was forced to admit that the "Death of Mr. McMahon" storyline was just that. (The storyline was hastily re-written and would wrap up in August with the Mr. McMahon character admitting he faked his death "to see what people really thought of him.") 2008 March *23: Pro Wrestling Allstars is founded in Antwerp, Belgium. *30: Ric Flair wrestles his final WWE match against Shawn Michaels at WWE WrestleMania 24 April *Stampede Wrestling, which had been revived by Bruce and Ross Hart in 1999, ceases operations once again. July *19: Carlos Colón retires September *19: Blue Panther loses his mask vs. Villano V October *25: Florida Pro Wrestling Association holds its final event FPWA Ring Of Horror 5 before ceasing operations in 2009. November *1: PowerSlam Productions is founded by Wes Adams.